Whether or not you compile a list of New Year's resolutions, the end of the year is a great time to evaluate the past year's progress and set goals for the coming months ahead. The language you use to state goals can make a big difference in how effective they are. The following techniques will help you state your goals in realistic terms:
- Make positive statements: Be sure to express your goals in positive terms. "Master this technique" is a much more positive goal than "Stop making this error."
- Set precise goals: If you establish dates, times, and amounts for your goals, you can keep your exact goals in mind, easily measure your results, and feel satisfied when each goal is met.
- Keep goals small: When goals are too large or too vague, it's easy to get discouraged and feel that no progress is being made. Breaking large goals down into smaller, more manageable components will increase your confidence and keep you motivated.
- Write goals down: Writing down your objectives clarifies your goals and helps you focus on them.
- Rank your goals: When you have a number of personal and professional goals, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. Assigning a priority to each goal will help you stay focused on the most important ones.
Concentrate on performance goals, not end results
As you examine all the aspects of your life that you would like to improve, try to set goals in areas that are somewhat under your control. It's extremely discouraging to fail to reach a goal for reasons that you can't do anything about: bad weather, injury, or business downturns, for example. Because they involve things that are beyond your control, goals that are based on outcomes or external events are more vulnerable to failure.
The surest way to achieve your goals -- and derive satisfaction from them -- is to structure your goals around skills, knowledge, or other performance goals. It's tempting to set goals that are based on external rewards or recognition: applause, compliments, or financial rewards. In the early stages, this kind of feedback can be very motivating. However, when you want to move on to greater achievements, you may find yourself less motivated when the rewards are completely external. In the long run, you're better off setting performance-based goals and rewarding yourself for meeting them.
Obstacles to effective goal-setting
If you fail to meet a goal, examine the reasons you didn't meet your goal and then either adjust the goal or take action to improve your skills. If you consistently fail to meet measurable goals, you may be setting your goals too high or too low.
Goals may be set unrealistically high for a number of reasons:
- Other people: Are other people (parents, media, society) setting unrealistic goals for you, based on what they want you to do? The goals that others set for you are often contrary to your own goals, ambitions, and needs.
- Insufficient information: Without a clear understanding of what goal you are trying to reach and the skills and knowledge that are needed to get there, it's very hard to set attainable and realistic goals.
- Expecting perfection: Many people set their goals based on their peak performance. Allow room for backsliding -- many factors contribute to optimal performance, and you can't count on all those factors being present every time. Concentrate instead on setting goals that raise the standards for your average performance.
- Lack of balance: In the long run, if you don't balance your priorities and make room for rest, relaxation, and finding pleasure in life, you run the risk of burnout. Single-minded pursuit of one type of goal generally comes at the expense of other aspects of your life. Set goals that balance your personal and professional lives, and give yourself enough time to meet them.
On the other hand, it's possible to set goals too low. Common reasons for this are:
- Fear of failure: If you're afraid of failure, you'll tend to pull back from taking the risks required for optimum performance. As you work on your goal-setting techniques and start meeting smaller goals, your increasing confidence levels should help you take bigger risks. Remember that even failure has a positive side. It can show you where you can improve your skills and performance.
- Reluctance to commit: It's tempting to look at all the reasons that people set goals unrealistically high and set goals too low instead. But if you're not willing to stretch yourself a bit and work hard for what you want, are you ever going to achieve anything of lasting worth? It's unlikely.
Tips for setting realistic goals
To be effective and meaningful, goals should be slightly out of your immediate grasp, but not so far that there's no hope of achieving them. There's not much sense in working toward a goal that you secretly believe is unrealistic. On the other hand, your belief that a goal is unrealistic may not be accurate. You may be limiting yourself more than you know by negative self-talk, or by accepting other people's views of your limitations. Such beliefs can be changed by positive imagery, affirmations, and by associating with people in pursuit of the same goals (for example, taking a class or joining a group of people with similar interests).
Be sure to set goals when you're feeling optimistic -- not when you're tired or stressed. And be sure to take practical factors into consideration, like balancing other commitments and leaving time open for rest and recreation.
Revisit, review, and revise
Once you set goals, don't just assume that they're cast in stone. Be sure to review them from time to time, adjusting them if necessary. Reviewing goals shouldn't happen once a year, or once a decade. Remember that your goals are uniquely yours -- they are the action plan you implement to create the results you want. Don't just write them down once a year and forget about them!
